Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Holidays and Observances for Feb 11 2015

No, I did not make that up. But I know who did, and that someone started Be Electrific Day back in 1998. She is professional speaker Carolyn Finch, and she defines electrific as:

"an abbreviation for an electrification project - which means to put light where light has not been before."

Now, one could take this definition as the genteel version of that old admonition, "put it where the sun don't shine," but it actually has a much more positive intent.

See, February 11th is the birthday of Thomas Alva Edison: "The Wizard of Menlo Park," holder of 1090+ U.S. Patents, inventor and businessman, and founder of General Electric, among many other impressive accomplishments too numerous to list here. And, Mr. Edison brought light where light had not been before - electrically speaking, of course. Therefore, we have Be Electrific Day, so that we can celebrate not only this prolific inventor's birthday, but also - as Ms Finch's program suggests - "the electricity within each of us."

Well. I don't know about you, but most of the electricity within me lately is of the static variety. My family is more than a little annoyed. Shocked, really. But I don't see the problem. I'm just celebrating this Little-Known, twelve-year old holiday, you know?

If I can do it, so can you. Go ahead! Get in the holiday spirit: scoot your stockinged feet across the carpet, scope out someone who looks a little energy depleted, and share your electricity within.

But then you might wanna get ready to run...

National Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

National Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day is celebrated every February 11 in the United States. The origin of the holiday is unknown. It comes the day before Abraham Lincoln's birthday, which was a national holiday until it was combined with George Washington's to create President's Day.

The day represents a moment to regroup after recent hardship and push forward with a positive attitude. The phrase points to the idea that getting upset over every little problem will lead to nothing beneficial. A number of theories have emerged on the origin of the proverb itself, from fairy lore to dairy farmers during the Great Depression.

The origin of the holiday is unknown, however there are a number of theories on the origin of the phrase. "Don't cry over spilled milk" is an age-old proverb that is speculated to come from a number of sources. One is European fairy lore. The fairies would drink the spilled milk, as it was one of their favorite foods, and therefore its loss would be negligible. The other theory is that the phrase originated in America during the Great Depression in the 1930s. With an overabundance of crops and food produced by animals, farmers ended up with too much supply and not enough demand. Therefore, dairy farmers may have created the phrase because they had too much milk. http://www.aboutenglishidioms.com/tag/cry/

The depression origin is unlikely, as the phrase can be traced as far back as 1659, where it was used by British historian and writer James Howell in his literary work, Paramiography. http://www.knowyourphrase.com/phrase-meanings/Cry-Over-Spilt-Milk.html

National Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day celebrates the ability to remain optimistic through any obstacles and failures in life. It dictates that life may throw complications at people, but realizing they are just passing events that may lead to positive experiences is incredibly important.

National Inventor's day

National Inventors' Day is observed on February 11th. Inventors' Day is a day of the year set aside by a country to recognise the contributions of inventors. Ronald Reagan as President of the United States proclaimed February 11, 1983 as National Inventors' Day in the USA. In recognition of the enormous contribution inventors make to the nation and the world, the Congress has designated February 11, the anniversary of the birth of the inventor Thomas Alva Edison, who held over 1,000 patents, as National Inventors' Day.

An inventor is a person who makes inventions. An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. It may be an improvement upon a machine or product, or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. Such works are novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field. Some inventions can be patented.

Famous inventors

Nikola Tesla, discoverer of the alternating current, inventor of radio communication, three-phase rotating magnetic field induction motor, the most influential inventor in the history of the world.

Michael Faraday, discoverer of the electromagnetic induction, inventor of the electric motor, founder of the electromagnetism, as first man in history he was assuming that light is cast of the electromagnetic radiation, he was most influential inventor of electric things in 19th century.

Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph and many other things.

Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery.

Karl Drais, inventor of the Laufmaschine ("running machine") the first bicycle.

Harry John Lawson, inventor of the safety bicycle.

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, inventor of the first car (the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle, this vehicle is propelled with steam engine).

Karl Benz, inventor of the first successful car.

Gottlieb Daimler, inventor of the first four-wheel successful car.

Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine.

Nikolaus August Otto, inventor of the first internal-combustion engine.

Thomas Savery, Thomas Newcomen, inventors of the first steam engine.

James Watt, inventor of the improved steam engine.

Richard Trevithick, inventor of the locomotive.

George Stephenson, inventor of the improved locomotive.

Guglielmo Marconi, pioneer of radio communication.

Samuel Colt, inventor of the revolver, a repeating gun.

An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. The invention process is a process within an overall engineering and product development process. It may be an improvement upon a machine or product, or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. Such works are novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field.

Some inventions can be patented. A patent legally protects the intellectual property rights of the inventor and legally recognizes that a claimed invention is actually an invention. The rules and requirements for patenting an invention vary from country to country, and the process of obtaining a patent is often expensive.

Another meaning of invention is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social behaviours adopted by people and passed on to others. The Institute for Social Inventions collected many such ideas in magazines and books. Invention is also an important component of artistic and design creativity. Inventions often extend the boundaries of human knowledge, experience or capability.

National Make a Friend Day

National Make a Friend Day is celebrated on February 11th of each year.

Friendship is a relationship between two or more people who hold mutual affection for each other. Friendships and acquaintanceship are thought of as spanning across the same continuum. The study of friendship is included in the fields of sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and philosophy. Various academic theories of friendship have been proposed, including social exchange theory, equity theory, relational dialectics, and attachment styles.

In the United States, friendship is a more loosely based term. From the time children enter elementary school, most teachers and adults call every other peer they have a “friend” and in most classrooms, or any social setting, children are dictated as to how to behave with their friends, and are told who their friends are. This leaves for a very different base for what a friend should actually be (Stout 2010). This type of open approach to friendship, has made it so many Americans, adolescents in particular, have taken on the term “best friend”. (Stout 2010). Many psychologists have deemed this term as dangerous for American children. This term is so dangerous because it allows for discrimination and groups to form, which causes for bullying in many American schools (Stout 2010). Many people in the United States have come to define their friends in a particular way, and research proves this has been happening for nearly 30 years (Sheets & Lugar 2005). For Americans, friends are people who you encounter fairly frequently that is similar to yourself in demographic, attitude, and activity (Sheets & Lugar 2005). While many other cultures value deep trust and meaning to their friendships, Americans will use the word “friend” to describe any person who has the qualities mentioned before (Stout 2010). There is also a difference in America between men and women who have friendships with the same sex. It has been studied, that it seems men in America have less deep and meaningful friendships with other men, as women have in friendships with other women. Many men and women in the United States have been studied to have similar definitions and ideas of intimacy, but when it comes to applying their intimacy to friendships, women do this with a deeper meaning (Yugar & Shapiro 2001). While studies do suggest these outcomes, it is hard to say exactly where this originated from, since there does not seem to be a historical explanation for it (Yagar & Shapiro 2001). Many studies have also found that Americans, as time goes on, and life becomes busier; will often lose touch with friends, where as other cultures take on a more intense value. For example, an American may see a long time friend and talk about wanting to get something to eat or catch up, with no real intentions of fulfilling that suggestion. It has been studied that this can be an unusual occurrence in many other cultures (Sheets & Lugar 2005).

Americans also use the term “friend” very freely, referring to someone they have known for a few weeks as a friend, perhaps for lack of a term for someone who is more than an associate but less than a friend (Copeland, 2001). The rise of social networking websites – initially with Friendster, followed by others like Myspace and Facebook, which popularized the concept of “Friend requests” – also diluted the traditional meaning of friend due to the manner of many users to accept requests from people whom they have ‘met’ only once – or not at all – and,once the request is accepted, include that person in their “friend list”

Best Quotes & Sayings About Friendship

It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~ John Leonard

The friend is the man who knows all about you and still likes you. ~ Elbert Hubbard

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. ~ Helen Keller

Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer. ~ Unknown

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. ~ Henry Ford

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~ Douglas Pagels

It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. ~ Marlene Dietrich

The best time to make friends is before you need them. ~ Ethel Barrymore

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~ Unknown

A good friend is cheaper than therapy. ~ Unknown

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. ~ Walter Winchell

A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself. ~ Frances Ward Weller

'Tis a great confident in a friend to tell him your faults; greater to tell him his. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Friends are like a good bra - supportive, hard to find and always close to your heart! ~ Unknown

Real friends love us and like us for who we really are - the good, the bad and the ugly! ~ Jace Shoemaker-Galloway

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. ~ William Blake

Friendship is one mind in two bodies. ~ Mencius

We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone. ~ Orson Welles

A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else. ~ Unknown

There comes a point in your life when you realize who really matters, who never did, and who always will. ~ Unknown

In honor of National Make a Friend Day, today is the perfect opportunity to begin a new friendship and while you are at it, do something nice for an old friend today as well.

National Peppermint Pattie Day

National Peppermint Pattie Day honors this decadent dark chocolate and cool peppermint filling. This dark chocolate confection with a refreshing peppermint flavor burst in your mouth, and makes this little York Pattie quite enjoyable.

The York Peppermint Pattie was founded in 1940 by Henry C. Kessler of York Cone Company. The company use to make ice cream cones until the debut of the York Peppermint Pattie. The York Peppermint Pattie became so popular the Kessler stop making ice cream cones.

The original recipe was a bit softer than it is today. It was important to Kessler, that this chocolate candy have a clean break in the middle so he performed a snap test and got his result.

In 1972 York Peppermint Pattie was acquired by Peter Paul, who is the owner of another chocolate delectable candy called Almond Joy.

Due to its popularity, it earned a day of recognition in 1975 with National Peppermint Patty Day. Before this Pattie could be the sweet treat we know it to be it went through several test to get its perfect combination.

The original recipe created was much softer candy than the pattie we know today. It was important for the peppermint to have the right minty taste, and the chocolate to be smooth over the peppermint rounds.

In 1988 York Peppermint Patty became part of the Hershey candy company.

Charlie Brown the comic has a tomboy name Peppermint Pattie after York Peppermint Pattie.

National Shut-in Visitation Day

Today is National Shut-in Visitation Day, a great time to stop in for a chat with someone who can't stop in for a chat with you.

Whether it's someone in the hospital, in long-term care or just temporarily under the weather, people who are shut in due to disability or illness need others to visit just as much as anyone else does.

So why don't we visit people who are shut in - sequestered away from the rest of us?

Often, it's simply because we don't know what to say. Our lives are filled with activities, going to the store, shopping, going to school and to work. Often we feel we can't talk to shut-ins about these things because we're guilty since they can't engage in the same activities.

But that shouldn't be a case at all.

People who are shut in want to her what we're doing, even if it's living vicariously through our adventures.

So who are shut-ins?

The first people who come to mind might often be those in long-term care. But there are others as well.

There are people in jail, in institutions and disabled veterans who served their country bravely but now find themselves confined to wheelchairs or who are bed-ridden. Wouldn't they like to know what it's like outside? What are the parks like? What does the snow feel like as you're trudging through it? Well stop in and tell them.

People who are shut in can also take a moment to reflect on how they can expand their lives - as limited as they may seem. Reading can create endless new worlds and the Internet can put them in touch with virtually anyone.

Above all, we could all make ourselves a little more aware of the social and psychological needs of those who are unable to get around as well as the rest of us.

So visit a shut-in - and expand your own horizons.

Pro Sports Wives Day

Many sports personalities are well known for their prowess on the sporting fields… But what about the spouses standing behind these celebrities?

Pro Sport Wives Day is a national day where nearly 500,000 sports wives, both active and retired, are graciously given recognition throughout the country. This recognition serves to remind the general public of the fantastic job that pro sports personalities’ wives and partners conduct behind the scene of a $213 billion pro sports industry. We may see these sportsmen regularly and their actions, but not often enough do we think of the hard work carried out by those who support them most. Many pro sports wives act as silent partners and household managers: they keep their darling athletes focused; determined to win and succeed in meeting their dreams; to create the beautiful feeling of being a winner in every heart in the country.

Pro Sports Wives Day is held annually in the month of February: to support the cause, all you need to do is make sure that you respect the hard work which these women must go through to aid their husbands as best as possible.

Satisfied Staying Single Day

“No one to walk with, but I’m happy on the shelf”, sang Fats Waller. If that’s you, there’s a perfect day to celebrate. And you don’t have to be “through with flirting”, either…

Seen by many as the antidote to Valentine’s Day, the international day of the singleton may be a strange occasion to mark. But Satisfied Staying Single Day, or S3, is less about chasing a dream of happily-ever-after, and more about living life in the moment – a cause that even couples can embrace. And unlike St Valentine, with his cutesy satin hearts and overpriced roses, S3 remains reassuringly un-commercial.

Above all, S3 is an excuse for a good party. People around the world celebrate their freedom by meeting up with friends for an evening in or out. However, you have to wonder about the logic behind “Satisfied Staying Single Speed-Dating Night”…

White Shirt Day

White Shirt Day honors original ‘Occupy’ movement 78 years after sitting down for solidarity.

The nation is in economic crisis, unemployment is high, people are losing homes, workers are afraid to unionize and families, swamped in debt, struggle for a better life. Worldwide, masses stand up against corporate greed and demand a better quality of life by sitting down and occupying space in a unified effort to be heard. These people – dubbed radicals or even communists by the opposition – believe this organizing movement has critical importance in their effort to create change.

After a six-week sit-down strike by General Motors (GM) autoworkers at the Fisher Body Plant No. 2 in Flint, Michigan, GM president Alfred P. Sloan signs the first union contract in the history of the American auto industry. The strike was organized by the United Auto Workers (UAW), which wanted to be recognized as the sole bargaining authority for employees at GM factories. The UAW, founded in 1935, also demanded improved working conditions and job security for GM autoworkers. At the time of the strike, GM, which was founded in 1908 by William Durant, had been the world's largest automaker since the early 1930s.

The strike began on December 30, 1936, and turned violent on January 11, 1937, when a riot broke out after police tried to prevent the strikers from receiving food deliveries from supporters on the outside. Officials had already shut off the heat in the factory. Both strikers and police officers were injured in the melee, which was later nicknamed the "Battle of Bulls Run." After the January 11 riot, Michigan governor Frank Murphy called in the National Guard to surround the plant. However, the governor ultimately decided against ordering troops into the plant. Many Americans voiced their support for the strike, and President Franklin Roosevelt stepped in to help with the negotiations to end the conflict.

In the end, GM agreed to grant the UAW bargaining rights and start negotiations on a variety of issues related to improving job conditions for autoworkers. The strike represented a major victory for the UAW. Soon after, workers at Chrysler went on strike and ultimately won the right to have the UAW as their representative. The Ford Motor Company was the last hold out of the "Big Three" American automakers. Founder Henry Ford was strongly opposed to unions, but his company finally signed a contract with the UAW in 1941.

Today, the UAW has expanded to include workers beyond the auto industry and is officially known as the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. The UAW has more than 500,000 active members and more than a half-million retired members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

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About Me

I was born September 6th 1965 in New Smyrna Beach, FL then we moved around the east coast of the USA while my dad was in the Coast Guard. We finally settled in Pinellas Park, FL when I was 5 years old. After school I trained to be a hairstylist, which I was successful at, til I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis February of 2010.

I decided to move to Spartanburg, SC the February after 9/11 to be closer to my mom who moved there to be closer to her mom and better job opportunities. I didn't have any trouble finding a job, good hairstylist are needed everywhere. Exactly 8 years after moving to South Carolina I was diagnosed with aggressive MS.

One of the best things that happened to me moving to SC was meeting and eventually marrying my husband. We have been together for almost 6 years now. He has a strong soul, he was there through the long diagnosis process which came a month before our planned wedding, and he stayed by my side through all of it.